Dc Police Searched Chavez-deremer's Office In Sexual Assault Investigation

District of Columbia police searched Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s offices at the agency’s headquarters this month as part of its investigation of sexual assault allegations against her husband, according to three DOL officials.

Employees who work in the secretary’s suite were ushered out of their offices temporarily Feb. 5, and Metropolitan Police Department personnel entered and looked around, according to the DOL officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

It is unclear what the police were searching for or how long they stayed, but it is unusual for a local police force to seek access to federal property, and especially rare for them search the office of a Cabinet official. In addition to the secretary’s own office, the suite also includes the work stations of a number of aides and advisers who report to her.

“LCD knew MPD was here but not why,” said one of the officials, referring to Chavez-DeRemer by her initials.

Neither Chavez-DeRemer nor Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling was in the office at the time of the search. A DOL spokesperson declined to comment.

An MPD spokesperson declined to comment.

A lawyer for Shawn DeRemer did not respond to POLITICO's request for comment. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, DeRemer said he had "not done any of this and I categorically deny these things. I will absolutely categorically fight everything in this."

The allegations against Chavez-DeRemer's husband arose as part of a broader probe being conducted by DOL’s inspector general into the Labor secretary and some of her closest aides.

At least two female staffers have reported interactions with DeRemer in which he touched them in ways that they allege were inappropriate, according to the three officials. 

One of those employees subsequently went to the police, the three DOL officials said. On Jan. 24, MPD received a complaint in which “complainant reported a sexual contact against her will,” according to a copy previously obtained by POLITICO. The publicly released police report does not name anyone involved. 

As part of its investigation, MPD reviewed security footage of the December incident involving DeRemer and the female staffer, according to one of the three DOL officials.

The security staffers who guard DOL’s Frances Perkins Building, located just off the National Mall in downtown Washington, received a notice late last month that Chavez-DeRemer’s husband was not allowed to enter the facility. 

Chavez-DeRemer was aware of the decision to bar her husband from the building but was not involved in the discussion to do so, according to current DOL officials.